I was hoping to be able to write a thorough review. But, to be honest, I just haven't really used it, or know enough to be able to compare.

Here goes:

I last wore an wetsuit in 2011, once, for the relays, when it fell apart. Before that I used it a fair bit in 2010.

It was quite an old wetsuit that I had stolen from jon.e.

It was thick, and quite hard to do up.

More importantly, I felt it didn't flatter me in the photographs, so, a new one was in order.

Actually, my reasons were slightly more sound: Faced with the prospect of a 3.8km swim in Ullswater (deep and cold), combined with my lack of ability and predicted failure to prepare, I thought that throwing some cash at the problem might be a good idea, so wanted something that was not going to slow me down.

Two factors made me go for the Huub 1) Brett Sutton, for no reason (i.e. not sponsored) said it was a good suit, and he probably knows a thing or two 2) I could negotiate a deal with Deano.

Yes, you can worry about sizing and buying it blind, but, to be honest, there were relatively few choices, so I picked the one that I was most in the middle of.

I wore it:

1) A very short session when my goggles steamed up - probably about 3 minutes2) A bit longer (15 mins) when my goggles didn't3) A Sprint Tri (750m)4) Another session of about 15 minutes (I think(5) A 3.8km swim6) An OD tri (1500m)7) An HIM tri (1900m)

I can't really tell if it made me go fast, the 750m was probably my best placing in a swim - not really sure about the others. But, to be honest, after the 3.8km I didn't bother to do any more practice. So it might be lightening quick for all I know.

What I do know:

1) It is fairly easy to get on, and I can zip it up myself.2) I got absolutely no chaffing from it, even on the 1h:46m swim3) I didn't get cold, even in the 1h:46m swim (well, not that cold)4) I didn't have any panic attempts relating to feeling crushed by the suit5) I managed to take it off without dislocating my dodgy knees.6) I survived every swim.

Pictures weren't that flattering still, though.

It wasn't that expensive after the discount.

I got horribly whacked (left a deep scratch on my harm) in the 3.8km swim, which took some lumps out of the suit (the neoprene is very very thin where movement is needed). So had to stick a bit of blackwitch on it, just to make sure it didn't turn to holes later. Not really the suits fault.

Compared to the old suit, it is much much lighter, and the thickness of the suit varies in places.

Don't ask me about swimming, or feel for the water - all I know is that the water feels wet, and in the suit, not that unpleasant.

There was a bit of a scare when jon.e thought he had broken it, but I think this was the quick unzip feature.

Probably, the only criticism is the that documentation is a bit weak - some advice on getting it on and off, but no explanation of the tearaway zip or whatever it is called. So I still have no idea how that works. Not that it matters much.

Hmmm interesting how perceptions of the Huub differ. Having had one for a season and decided to bin after the disaster of the swim I had at the Deva. I found the wet-suit for too tight and often the water would actually bail into the wet-suit at the neck depending on the angle the head was set at. For me, the fit was shocking and that was being sized up for the wet-suit. I was literally slower with it.

I raced the Vit this year in an entry level 2xu and had one of my faster swim times and that was literally with only 7-8 swim sets under my belt. The fit of the 2xu was like night and day to huub so its very interesting that you find it different. I know Ben felt the same as me when he tried it and it maybe that it doesn't work for taller people. On the chest it was just too tight for me.

Which is odd, as my first perception of the huub was that it was a great wettie, and it is but the more I raced in it the more I started to find it that it was hurting me and was constrictive.

Glad you like the wettie. Hopefully you get a good return on the swim times.